Thread: Greetings and salutations

Okay, I'm not usually that formal, but had to do something different to catch your attention.

I'm writing part-time, currently working on a young adult novel but have had work previously published in comic books, news articles and website copywriting.

Really, I'm looking to make writing my sole source of income and I thought joining this forum might help me to stay focused on that goal.

I hope to be fairly active (my job has lots of downtime) on this forum and look forward to getting to know some of you better.

Question: While I truly enjoy writing, I find it hard to apply myself to it at times (especially for novel writing where I have no due date or promised paycheck to motivate me). Any helpful hints?

Feel free to ask me anything about myself, I'll be happy to respond.

Welcome to the forum, I hope your experiences here bring you closer to your goals.

As for hunkering down to write--it sounds like you're Naturally inclined toward... hmm... "taking it easy" when there isn't any pressure. You also said you have a good deal of downtime--perhaps you should fill it up with deadlines. If setting yourself fake deadlines for parts of a novel doesn't help, and you don't have one being contracted, then it might be a good idea to fish around for some contests to enter or a cheap writing class to take. I've got quite a proclivity for procrastination (and typically I work quite well on close deadlines); filling my schedule, giving myself less time to waste, generally makes me produce much more quickly and efficiently. If I'm constantly working on things, when I'm not, I'll feel like I ought to be and I'll find something constructive to do.

Works for me, might work for you, can't say it's for everybody.

Welcome again!

Hello to you, and welcome to the forum!


Nickie

Thanks Nickie

@Noirllyn - Thanks, that's not a bad idea. I do find once I get busy, I like to stay busy (as once I stop it's harder to get going again). Seems counter-intuitive (the busier I am the less time I'd have to write) but it just may work as it'd force me into the right mindset and routine.

Welcome to the forums.

Write for the love of writing. Don't force yourself to meet guidelines and make money, write when you feel it, write to create or express, the other stuff comes along later.

I write when i feel like it no matter what.

That's my advice take it or whatever i don't really care

Hello and welcome to the Forums...

May I suggest get a monkey with a tazer, then train the monkey to taze you when you are acting lazy.

Ungood

If your only desire to write is because you receive a cheque at the end of it, then you're already cheating yourself. You write because you love to write, not because you want to make money. Getting published and making money is a bonus.

Anyway, welcome to the forum.

Sam.

Hi and welcome to the forums.

Hi there and welcome to the forum

Originally Posted by Ungood

Hello and welcome to the Forums...

May I suggest get a monkey with a tazer, then train the monkey to taze you when you are acting lazy.

Ungood

ROTFLMAO - I dunno, the batteries for that tazer might cost me a fortune.

Originally Posted by Sam Winchester

If your only desire to write is because you receive a cheque at the end of it, then you're already cheating yourself. You write because you love to write, not because you want to make money. Getting published and making money is a bonus.

Anyway, welcome to the forum.

Sam.

I love writing! Fiction at any rate. Copywriting is strictly for a paycheck or I'd never do it. Believe me I've written lots for my own pleasure but if I seriously want to make a career out of it, I need to be more disciplined at it than I am now.

Welcome to the boards. Glad to have you.

General rule of thumb is to just write. Tell yourself that you're going to get some writing done and then do it. Much easier said than done though.